Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs

Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs is an instructor and the director of health communication for Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of Communication Studies. She writes for special publications of The Southeast Missourian and is the founder of Jimmy’s Friends, a student volunteer organization that provides social support to hospitalized children and their families.

Ways to Connect

Did you know that on average, Americans gain a little over a pound in the week following Christmas? Would it make you feel better if I told you so do Germans and the Japanese? Misery loves company. And fudge.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a study in September that found Americans aren’t the only ones who put on weight during celebratory times. But, a report in Nutrition Review suggests that pounds Americans gain can have long lasting effects: weight gain during the holiday season may be an important contributor to the rising prevalence of obesity.

We all know the gifts that get mocked this time of year…fruitcake, another tie for dad, socks…we may have previously considered a health and fitness gift on the naughty list too. After all, what exactly was the gift giver implying? However, as Christmas quickly approaches, many might be hoping to find a fitness tracker under the tree.

How common is the common cold?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the course of a year, people in the U.S. suffer 1 billion colds. But, when you’re coughing, sneezing, and miserable do you need a doctor?

Sometimes people are unsure if they have the flu, bronchitis, pneumonia...or just the common cold. To avoid an unnecessary trip to your healthcare provider and to prevent the overprescription of antibiotics, it helps to understand the difference between these illnesses.

Americans have been able to enroll or re-enroll in health care plans for 2018 on the federal marketplace, HealthCare.gov since November 1. Enrollment will close on December 15. This will be the shortest open enrollment period since the Affordable Care Act marketplaces began.

You have about three more weeks to get signed up for health insurance if you don’t get coverage through your employer, your parents, or a government plan, like Medicaid or Medicare.